Mobile operating systems
iOS privacy rating
Apple's closed source operating system for the iPhone, with the App Store as the main app source and integration with iCloud and other Apple services.
Summary
iOS scores 35 out of 100 (grade F) on the mobile operating systems criteria. It partly meets no trackers or telemetry, no ads or data sales and independent audit. It does not meet open source. It is based in the United States: Five Eyes member; subject to the US CLOUD Act.
Score 35 out of 100. How scoring works
Criteria
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No
Open source Weight 3 of 3
Is all the source code needed to run the product public?
Closed source; Apple publishes only some components, such as the Darwin kernel and WebKit.
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Partial
No trackers or telemetry Weight 3 of 3
Are the website and apps free of third-party trackers, with any analytics anonymous and any telemetry off by default?
No third-party trackers in the system; Apple collects first-party analytics, and device analytics sharing can be turned off.
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Partial
No ads or data sales Weight 2 of 3
Is the product funded without advertising, ad targeting or selling user data?
Apple shows its own ads in the App Store, News, Stocks, Maps and TV apps; personalized ads can be turned off and Apple states it does not sell personal data.
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Partial
Independent audit Weight 2 of 3
Has an independent security or privacy audit been published within the last three years?
iOS holds Common Criteria and FIPS 140-3 certifications from accredited labs, but Apple publishes the certification list rather than a full audit report.